Today I am participating in a blog hop with the Fat Quarter Shop! We are showing off this super cute, super easy cross-body bag called Kimberly’s Sac. This bag is so much fun to make that I had to make two of them! One is for me and one is for my daughter. There is even a video you can watch to help you as you sew along!

This bag is great because it’s comfy and slouchy! I used quilt batting inside so it feels like a soft quilt.

I’ve gotten a little behind with blogging about the 12 Days of Meowy Christmas! I’m much better at keeping up on Instagram! Here goes:

On the 7th day of Meowy Christmas my true love gave to me, a fun excuse to get quilty! This adorable cat quilt pattern is free from Blend Fabrics. You can download it here! I think it would be so cute in Christmas fabrics! I’m hoping to make it before Christmas 🙂

On the 8th day of Meowy Christmas my true love gave to me, an apron with a had stitched kitty! Kerri from Sew Deerly Loved is sharing this darling tutorial for a vintage inspired apron with kitty embroidery! Go check out her blog for full instructions and pattern!!

On the 9th day of Meowy Christmas my true love gave to me a lion that is soft and cuddly! Lucy from Lucy Blaire has created this pattern called Lyle the Lion. You can purchase it on her blog or enter to win one today on Instagram!

I don’t know if I’ve ever posted about an item of clothing that I didn’t sew but I am so in love with my new Christmas sweater that I had to post a few pictures! The sweater has cats all over it and bells all over it and bows all over it! I JINGLE when I walk!! I got the sweater from Tipsy Elves .com. I saw them in an episode of Shark Tank – their sweaters are amazing and they even had several cat themed sweaters to choose from! I wore it to our church Christmas party and i attracted a lot of attention 🙂

I’m not one for a lot of pictures of myself – but if I’m wearing a cat sweater it’s all right!! It was very difficult to get a picture with Mufasa – he was pushing away from me as I was trying to hug him – he ended up snagging the sweater 🙁 I can’t help but smile when I see this sweater! I wish it wasn’t 80 degrees today so I could wear it!

Today I’m taking a little break from the sewing machine and enjoying my FAVORITE gingerbread cookies – shaped like cats! This recipe has been our family’s favorite since I was in Kindergarten! It is super easy but the most flavorful gingerbread recipe you will ever have. I just brought them to our church Christmas party and a few people were fighting over them 🙂

Amanda’s Famous Gingerbread Cookies

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1/3 cup water

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp + cinnamon

2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

Cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the molasses. Next beat in the water. (it will look a little weird)

In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.

On a floured surface roll out the dough 1/4″ thick and cut with cookie cutters. If the dough seems a little sticky, just add more flour as you are rolling out.

Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Let cool. Dip in dipping chocolate or pipe with royal icing.

Gingerbread dipped in chocolate is one of the best flavor combinations in the whole world!!!I collect little vintage cats – they sit in my kitchen window and keep an eye on the baking! I didn’t want to cover up the detail on the cats, so I just dipped their heads in chocolate 🙂

These cute cat softies are ones my mom made in the early 80’s. She is also a crazy cat lady, I think it is hereditary! These cute little kittens can sew up in a snap and look darling tucked in a Christmas tree. Download the pattern HERE. I think I will make some in some updated fabrics! Every tree needs kitties in it!!!

I have a cat themed tree upstairs in the hallway. Don’t worry, there are plenty of cat ornaments on all my other trees!!!

I bought this Mufasa ornament when I was at the Farmers Market in New Jersey!OK, I may have bought 2 Mufasa ornaments 🙂

For years my mother has purchased little catnip pillows at her veterinarian’s office and sent them to her grand-cats. My cats have actually worn the pillows out because they love them so much. They are super simple just a square stuffed with fiberfill and catnip! They are purrrrfect little stocking stuffers for your furbabies!

This is the old one – not even made with cute fabric!

Let’s make some Christmas ones!

Supplies:

Bright cheery Christmas fabric, mine is from Riley Blake Designs

Fiberfill

Catnip

a word about catnip…..for years I have grown catnip. It grows easy and doesn’t need a lot of care. In fact if you start growing it you might find it growing in other parts of the yard. However, if there are any cats in the neighborhood or if your cats roam outside, they will find the catnip, roll in it, sleep in it, eat it and ruin it! You can purchase dried catnip at pet supply stores. You should definitely give your cat fresh catnip sometime just to see their reaction!

Cut (2) 3.5″ squares for each pillow. Mine were a touch smaller then the ones my mom sent. I think they were cut 4″.

Sew using 1/4″ seams along 3 sides, back stitching to start and stop.

Turn them right side out.

Fill with catnip and fiberfill. I alternated so the catnip wasn’t just at the end.

Turn the raw edges under 1/4″ and top stitch closed.

It’s best if you sew them when your cat is not sleeping right behind the sewing machine. The smell woke Mufasa and this is what happened!

Welcome to the Caturday Sew Along! I love cats and sewing!!! I know a lot of you love sewing with your fur babies too! Each month I will post a cat themed quilting project that we can sew together. Post your progress on Instagram and tag it with #caturdaysewalong. For October choose any variation of these three projects that use a cat silhouette and SPOOKY applique. Click the links for the patterns.

This Spooky mini quilt measures 20″ square and uses 2.5″ squares to complete. It’s such a fun way to use up those Halloween scraps you’ve been saving!! Click HERE for the tutorial.

This larger version measures 44″ x 60″ and it uses 5″ charm squares for the center. It’s my favorite Halloween quilt. Click HERE for the tutorial.

If you find yourself pressed for time but still want to sew something SPOOKY, try this quick pillow tutorial! Click HERE

I love Spooky Sewing! Halloween is such a fun time of year and the fabrics are so amazing! This mini quilt pattern is inspired from a larger pattern I created. You can find the pattern for the large version on the Riley Blake Designs website. The fabrics are from last years and this years Riley Blake Designs Halloween fabrics. They are purrrrfect for Halloween!Supplies:

scraps of Halloween prints

fat quarter or equivalent for applique

2/3 yard for backing

1/4 yard for binding

batting

Heat n Bond Lite EZ print sheets

This small version measures about 20″ square. It would make a great pillow too! Begin by rummaging through all your scraps and cut 2.5″ squares. You need 100 total. There are 10 rows of 10. I did mine totally random. I just grabbed 2 fabrics and sewed them together.

I paired all the fabrics then sewed those pairs with other pairs, leaving 10 pairs out. Once you sew the 2 sets of 2, you have strips with 4 squares. Pair those up to give you 10 sets of 8 squares. Then add the reserved pairs to the ends. This was the fastest way I found. I lined up the rows the best I could. I tried to avoid having 2 like fabrics touching. Press all seams.

To add the cat applique, click HERE for the cat and HERE for the Spooky. Print them in reverse. I like to use Heat n Bond EZ print sheets – no tracing!!! Once you’ve got your applique ready, iron it into place and stitch around it with black thread.

All that’s left is the quilting! I quilted orange swirls.

Add the binding and its done! This might take a while if your cat decides to have a nap on it!!! I love it so much!!!!